A Very Merry Kinnikumas
by EisenKoubu
Summary: It's almost Christmas time, and Kyousuke plans to get the Little Busters together for a party! But Riki is having some issues getting them together and finding a present for one of them, and there are other, darker forces working against him... Written for Episode 6 of the Kinniku Sensation Podcast. Please read along with us if you can! Rated T for violence and some dark themes.
1. Act 1

It is December 24. A familiar chill falls upon the crisp winter air. At our school it should be pretty quiet, but Rin and the guys decided not to go home to their families. On top of all that, Kyousuke called the four of us in at the beginning of our short school break.

"We're going to do a party on Christmas Eve," he announces in my dorm, like always. "For this party, I will give all of you a new mission."

"Another mission?" Masato looks at him with a weird mix of anticipation and doubt. "Is it going to be a Muscle festival?"

"That may be an idea, but that's not what I'm talking about," Kyousuke downplays his response. "No, our mission is for each member, including the girls, to offer presents to the other members."

Kengo is left speechless. "Huh?"

Masato growls in surprise. "What?"

Rin's eyes and mouth widen. "Eeh?!"

"Kyousuke, we don't have enough money," I reason with him. "We can't buy gifts for all the Busters!"

"Who said you need to buy gifts?" Kyousuke answers coolly. "You can make things if you want. I'm sure the girls would love to make things for Christmas."

Suddenly there was a collective understanding of what Kyousuke meant. There were still some grimaces among the four of us, and more might join once the girls find out. Rin looked at me with scrutinizing eyes, as did Masato. I grew nervous around them. Kengo simply sat in deep thought, but Kyousuke's face was grinning like a child who couldn't wait for Christmas.

"Well, that's settled," Kyousuke shouts with glee. "Riki, I'll be counting on you to tell the others. As for the rest of you, Operation Christmas Kindness has begun!"

* * *

As I left the room, I realized something. Some of the girls had other plans. Komari, Kurugaya, Mio and Sasami were heading home to their families. Kud and Haruka chose to bunk together in the meantime, and Kanata had to stay to monitor the remaining students, so finding them would be easy. However, I felt like Christmas wouldn't be complete without the other Busters. If only I could convince those that were leaving...

"Riki." I turn around as I cross the terrace. Rin's small cross-armed figure, continuing to scrutinize me like some sort of detective. She holds her breath for a while, staring directly into my eyes. I couldn't wait.

"Rin, I gotta go meet with the girls," I tell Rin bluntly. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Mm..." Rin doesn't move or speak. She does take a moment to breathe, but then continues to stare at me. I don't have time for this.

"I'm going." I walk away from Rin.

"...!" She clasps my wrist to prevent me from stopping. I turn back to her. She seems a little desperate. "Don't go, I need...uh..."

"Need what?" I don't really know what's up with her today. It's like she wants to say something, but can't bring herself to say it.

"...To go with you," she answers finally. "I need something from my room."

"Okay," I nod readily. Seems we're going the same way. Guess I could use her company.

Since it was the beginning of December, the crispness of autumn was just giving way to winter chill. Rin and I could see each other's breaths, and she was still staring intensely at me, even when I wasn't looking at her. Our walk to the girls' dorm continued in this awkward fashion until...

"...I'm gonna miss you, Nishizono-san." A brief pause.

"I'll miss you too, Noumi-san." It sounded like Kud and Nishizono-san were saying their farewells as roommates for the season. I didn't see Saigusa-san anywhere.

"Nishizono-san, Kud, good afternoon," I addressed them out loud.

Kud was the first to notice. "Ah, Riki, Rin-san! Itsu naisu to miito yu~"

"Nice to meet you too," I responded in kind. "How are you, Nishizono-san?"

Nishizono-san had her parasol folded up in her right hand, a leather bag wrapped around her left shoulder. Her eyes, normally a perfect mask of her true emotions, seemed a little sad today.

"...I'm doing well, Naoe-san," she exhaled a puff of steam. "My business here is done for the season."

"Isn't it a little early for heading home?" I asked her.

"My home is a ways off," she explained. "I can't afford the flight, so I must make the transfer now if I plan to reach home by Christmas."

"Riki," Rin catches my attention. "I'll be right back."

"Ah, sure," I nodded, and watched Rin run off into the dorm. I turned my gaze back to Nishizono-san and Kud.

"Is Rin-san doing well?" Nishizono-san asked a seemingly superfluous question. I didn't mind the innocence of her asking, though.

"She is well," I answered honestly.

"I see," she closed her eyes to ponder. "I don't wish to prolong my farewell. If the other Busters ask about me..."

"Nishizono-san..." I wanted to stop her from saying any more. Even if she turned me down, I wanted to tell her how much she is needed here. But...what was I supposed to say to keep her here?

"Farewell, Naoe-san," she bowed to me before walking away.

"Mio!" I called out to her. She stopped for a moment. Crap, what do I say?! "Um...Is there any reason you can't stay for Christmas?!"

She did not move a muscle. I heard a small, almost inaudible exhale of breath from her direction. I felt like I needed to say something more, but...

"Nishizono-san!" Kud, having been a part of the background before now, joined me in my attempt to keep her here. "I would love to celebrate Christmas with you, with everyone! That cookbook you lent to me...I want to try it with you! Please, Nishizono-san!"

That's when I heard something from her...an unexpected giggle from that blue-haired spectre almost faded into the white horizon. A pleasant light humor settled within her, and she turned toward us. That's when I noticed...her complexion was different. Her entire attitude...had changed. This wasn't Mio.

"I'm happy to hear you say that," this stranger smiled warmly without any sense of malice. "The trouble is, Mio can't stay here. She must return home with her family, or they will be sad."

She took a few steps towards us, and winks. "So you'll have to make do with good old Midori~"

"Wafuu?!" Kud was filled with genuine shock. She had never seen this side of her roommate before.

"Midori..." I remembered that name. Mio had mentioned it some time ago, and I had met her once. I believed she was Mio's sister, but my memory of her was hazy at best. Still...was this really Midori? In that case, where was Mio?

"Where is Mio?" I asked Midori.

"Don't worry about her," she smiles. "She's on the next bus home. She'll be back when school starts up again." She leans over to Kud's eye level. "Now, how's about we get started on those recipes, huh?"

"Wa-wafuu~" Kud is still a little shocked about the whole thing, but now I was in a position to ease things up.

"Kud, this is Midori," I introduce her. "She's Nishizono-san's sister. She's here to visit her old friends for the holidays."

Kud takes her time sorting out the difference between Mio and Midori. Midori, in the meantime, turns to me with an eager smile.

"I take it Natsume-san wanted you to tell us about the Christmas party?" She asks rhetorically. "Don't worry about asking, I already know. I'll fill little Kud in on the details."

"Th-thank you," I answer her.

"Wafuu? A Christmas party?" Kud snaps out of her confusion (or rather, snaps into a new confusion) upon hearing our conversation. As Midori and I fill her in on the details, her interest piques – no, rockets to the moon. "That sounds really cool! Amaishingu kuru~!"

At that point, Rin returns with a small cat-laminated notebook and pencil. "I'm back."

"Welcome back," Midori automatically greets for me. Now it's Rin's turn to be confused.

* * *

Our next target was Kurugaya, who could literally have been anywhere at that stage. My first guess was the broadcast room, but she was not there that day. I asked my investigator sidekick where she might have gone, and she answered: "Do I look like the kind of person to follow her everywhere?"

The school was close to closing for the Christmas season, so I had little reason to search the school. She might not have been there anyway. Same would go for Komari or Sasami. I had more reason to check their dorms, but Rin told me the dorm mother had not seen them come or go. I feared the worst.

"Mm..." Meanwhile, Rin was still carefully observing my movements. I didn't want to interrupt her, but I did admit the act was a little creepy. I sat on a bench in the courtyard after a long search, and Rin did the same. She shivered a little. "Cold..."

"I know," I responded, also feeling a little chilly. "Do you want to go back to the dorm?"

"N-no!" She jumped defensively. "I...I have to talk to Komari-chan."

"Well, we're not going to find her at this rate," I sighed. "She might have already left for home."

"Komari-chan hasn't left yet," Rin filled me in. "She would have told me first."

"Do you know where she went?"

"I heard from Nishizono-san that she went to the hospital," she explained, pondering something. "It would be bad if she caught a cold..."

"I don't think she goes there when she catches a cold," I refuted her theory. Actually, had Komari ever been sick? There was that one weird incident back in June, but that didn't require medical treatment. She's more amazing than I thought...

Rin gives me a blank, somewhat perplexed stare. "Why would Komari be in a hospital, then?"

"She does volunteer work for the elderly sometimes," I recalled for her. "She sings and cleans for them, and they give her lots of sweets in return."

"Sounds like a comfortable life," Rin observes, nodding. Her bell jingles as she does. "Let's go see her."

I knew the bus route to the hospital, so it didn't take us long to reach there. When we arrived, we were surprised to see Kurugaya and Saigusa-san standing at the entrance, wearing what looked like nametags on their breast pockets. They seemed to be talking.

"...And that's when I pocketed his ten-thousand yen and ran off!" Saigusa-san sounded like she was recalling an incident she was in. Kurugaya didn't look impressed.

"I've done naughtier things to men, honestly. Have I told you about the time I tricked Kengo into taking off his top?"

"Kurugaya, Saigusa-san, good afternoon!" I called out to them just in time.

"Geez, Riki-kun!" Saigusa-san seemed rather upset. "Anego was about to tell me something juicy!"

"Come to steal me away from Saigusa, have you?" Kurugaya grinned slyly. "You're a brave boy, Riki-kun. Adding me to your harem of...Rin-san?"

"Uh..." Rin hid behind my back. Out of all the girls, she never liked being around Kurugaya in particular. I could kind of see why.

"Actually," I started. "I'm here to relay a message to you two and Komari. Where is she?"

"Komari-max is inside," Kurugaya nodded. "I can send Saigusa to grab her."

"Why can't you go grab her, Anego?!"

"A hospital full of old people just isn't my scene," Kurugaya answered a little coldly.

"It isn't mine either!" Haruka's tantrums frightened Rin even more.

"Calm down, Saigusa-san," I urged her. "I'll go talk to her after I relay the message to you guys."

"What is it you want to tell us, Riki-kun?" Kurugaya leaned in with a playful smile. I could see down her...uh...bosom. I shut my eyes and tell the two of them quickly about the Christmas party Kyousuke was planning. Kurugaya stood back, her cocky smile gone. Haruka had cooled down by this point as well, and wore a weird look.

"Why does Kyousuke-san want to throw a party when so many of us are going home?" Kurugaya's question made me think a little bit. I never could tell what was in Kyousuke's head, but if I was going to do as he asked me, I had to come up with something.

"I guess he wants the Little Busters around so that it'll feel more lively and fun," I hypothesized. From the look of Kurugaya's face, she didn't seem to buy that completely.

"Well, Kyousuke-san is Kyousuke-san," she nodded in understanding. "But even he should know that I have to return home every once in a while. There's no way around it."

"Anego," Haruka looked at Kurugaya. "Wouldn't a Christmas party be fun? We could pull off all kinds of gags on the boys."

"Even Riki-kun?" Kurugaya heavily considered something dangerous.

"I don't know," Haruka looked to me. "Riki-kun, could we pull a prank on you for Christmas?"

"Why are you asking me?!" I protested, but Rin slowly stepped away from my side.

"I'll allow it if you don't touch me," Rin interjected, cowering a little in front of Kurugaya.

"Hm...okay," Kurugaya decided after some reservation. "I'll contact my family later."

"Hooray, Anego stays to play~!" Haruka shouted joyously.

"I'm back~" At that moment, Komari emerged from the front doors of the hospital. When her eyes fell on Rin and I, she seemed a little curious. "Fue? Riki-kun, Rin-san, why are you here?"

"Well, um," I started, but Kurugaya finishes for me with a mischevious grin.

"Riki-kun came to propose to you."

"Hey! That's not..." Before I could say anymore, Komari answered back with her same clueless eyes.

"Riki-kun...I thought you already proposed to me," she gave a surprisingly calm answer, smiling gratefully. "I appreciate the reminder, though. I've been meaning to ask you something."

No one else spoke a word, as they were all utterly surprised by Komari's response. She continues: "Riki-kun, do you want to come home with me for Christmas?"

"Uh...um," I stumbled on my words. It was a very tempting offer, but I still had to deliver Kyousuke's message regardless. "About that..."

* * *

As we returned to the school, I divulged Kyousuke's plan to Komari. She was taken quite aback by it. "Fue? Kyousuke wants to have a Christmas party with the other Busters?"

"Yeah," I responded to her. Everyone behind us nodded in unison. "It's happening Christmas Eve night."

Komari pondered this piece of news carefully as we reached the school gate. I happened to spot Kengo speaking with Sasami outside it. I supposed he was trying to convince her to come as well. Sasami seemed a little miffed, so I didn't think it was going too well.

"Well, Riki-kun," Komari turns to me after some thought, "I'd love to join, but having Christmas with my parents is far more important to me."

Rin visibly jumped in place. "Komari-chan, don't say that..."

"Come on, Komari-chan!" Saigusa-san shouted at her. "The Little Busters just isn't the same without you! If you're worried about gifts, we can collaborate on something sexy for Anego!"

"And just what were you planning to give me?" Kurugaya poked into the conversation.

"It's a secret~" Haruka dodged a bullet gracefully. I'm sure Kurugaya liked surprises, so she'd let it pass.

"Thank you for the encouragement," Komari answered them. "I would love to have a good party with everyone, but this year I feel I need to be closer to my parents."

"Geez, what's so great about parents, anyway?" Saigusa-san moaned.

The conversation died out after that. Everyone, including Rin, went their separate ways after we reached the dorms. I was left alone, rather dismayed at Komari's decision. For a brief moment, Saigusa-san's words echoed in my mind. Why was celebrating Christmas with parents so special?

While pondering this, I found myself alone on the bench again, breathing in the crisp evening air. Curfew would arrive soon, and Kyousuke was probably expecting a report from me. Heck, I wasn't even sure how I was going to carry out the mission. My relatives didn't leave me much money to work with for the holidays. At most I would have enough for a piece of candy, maybe a cute little can badge. I don't think any of the Busters would care about those except Komari, and she was...

"What am I supposed to do?" I sigh quietly, letting my breath condensate in the cool air.

"May I ask what you are doing here, Naoe-kun?" The tall, daunting figure of Futaki-san looms over me like an expectant teacher. She doesn't look angry, though.

"I..." I started explaining, but I couldn't think of what to say to her. If I told her I was having problems with my friends, she'd ask me to leave them alone. I couldn't do that, not when Kyousuke was counting on me.

"I've...just been thinking about what present to get for one of the Busters," I told an alternate truth to her. She looked at me for a moment, then sighed hopelessly.

"Your face looks so miserable, I want to strangle you," she groaned. She rests herself on the bench next to me, turning her head back towards me after she's settled. "Tell me what's going on."

With those intimidating eyes, I had no choice but to tell her about Kyousuke's plan. Again, she sighed hopelessly. "There's no stopping that idiot. I can't allow him to host a party on school grounds, but he'll find a way to do so anyway. At least Haruka's antics were more predictable."

"Yeah," I agreed with her, if only to help along the idea forming in my head. "But Saigusa-san is in on this too, since she has nowhere else to spend Christmas at. I think it would help if you came, too."

She sighed once more, but this one was a sigh of regret. "Does she really want me there...?"

"She would love it," I push her along. "Forget the rules and have fun. That's what we've always done, and I think there's no better time to do it than Christmas. Forget your family issues, just this once. That might be..."

"Please stop, Naoe-kun," she shakes her head. "I get the point, but I can't accept it. I can't just...let go. This is my burden, my curse. If Christmas is about forgetting one family to spend time with another...I can't accept that. I'm sorry."

She stood up, looking away from me. I couldn't see anything on her face, but her hands were trying to steady themselves, almost as if she were trying not to cry. "Curfew's almost here," she reminds me in a low voice that's close to cracking. I expected her to follow up by telling me to return to the dorms, but she had long gone before that could happen.

* * *

I continued to think about the lost sheep of the female Busters in my room. Masato and the others hadn't returned as of yet. The outside world was getting darker, and it worried me quite a bit. Staying up late wasn't uncommon for us, but for some reason, I was more afraid of it now. So many people had ignored Kyousuke's message, and if I had to guess, Kyousuke probably knew it by now.

Man, what should I have done? What could I have done? Was this the part where I have to face facts and forget about 'my' family, the only family I have? I considered Futaki-san's words. Maybe I was being selfish in trying to get people who had real families, something I had long forgotten about, to stay. Conversely, what was Kyousuke trying to accomplish sending me to convince them to abandon their plans? I just couldn't understand his line of thinking.

*Tap tap*

Someone was knocking on the outside window. I leapt up out of bed and went to check. There wasn't anyone immediately in front of me, but I noticed an ominous full moon garnished with mist. I had a feeling who was behind the window.

"...Kud?"

That's when I saw her. The reaper of souls, covered in the white mantle of Death herself. She sensed my hopelessness, and came to offer me a way out. Her servants Strelka and Belka, the guardians of night, stood on each side of her. If I stepped out to meet her, this would spell the end of Christmas as I knew it. She would take me in her embrace...and it would be all over.

"Riki..." Her disembodied voice was sad, almost as broken as Futaki-san's as she left me. If it was Death's job to reap the unfortunate souls of the poor, why was she hesitating? I knew well why: she loved me too much. And I loved her. Death was the last thing she wanted to give me, but those urges...the nature of her calling was an unnatural form of lust, alien to my human senses. I had to make a decision for her.

"Kud, it's almost Christmas," I pleaded with her. "No one should have to die on Christmas."

"But it's not Christmas," her wails resounded in my mind. "I don't want you to give up hope on this, Riki. Your wish for the end of existence beckons to me, and to Strelka and Belka. We love you. We don't want you to give up on Kyousuke's plan. Please...don't open that window."

"You won't kill me, Kud," I played my trump card. "For precisely that reason, you won't kill me. I won't give up on my existence because Christmas isn't the exact way I want it or Kyousuke wants it. I'll see my friends again, won't I?"

I could see her and the guardian hounds nod in the distance. At that moment, a dark cloud passes over the ominous moon, and the figures of the Reaper and her guardians vanish. It was at this point that I really worried for Saigusa-san, having to deal with a roommate who could very easily kill her if she broke down again. I resolved to protect them, the both of them, this holiday season.

*knock knock*

The door behind me opened, and in stepped Kyousuke and the others. All of them had various faces plastered on them: Kyousuke with his confident smile, Masato squinting hard at Kengo, Kengo ignoring Masato, and Rin looking directly at me expectantly.

"Oh, Riki, there you are," Kyousuke noticed me as he stepped in. "The rest of us were looking for you. How did the girls respond?"

"Um..." I settled down in front of our usual spot, then began to relay the girls' responses.

"Hm, this is most troublesome," Kyousuke pondered quietly after I finished explaining. "So Nishizono, Komari and Futaki were the only ones who turned you down?"

"For the same reason, yes," I noted to him after he made that observation. Masato was looking rather pissed at the prospect, and Kengo was a bit concerned too. Rin seemed mostly concerned about Komari not being there.

"But the other Nishizono has joined us in some fashion," Kyousuke gives us a distant smile. "At any rate, our concern rests on Komari and Futaki joining us."

"Why does Futaki have to join?" Masato complained, crossing his arms.

"Because she very clearly wants to be with Saigusa-san," Kyousuke pacifies him. "But it seems she has other plans, if I'm not mistaken."

"It seemed that way, but I thought she wasn't going home for the holidays," I explained what I heard from her. "Actually, Kengo. What did Sasami say to you?"

"She's adamant on going home," Kengo answers, seemingly resigned to the fact.

"Can't be helped, I guess," Kyousuke sulks a little, before returning to his usual self. "One less Buster isn't going to hurt us, but three will. Riki, you've done enough for today. Put pursuing them on hold until I give you further instruction."

I disagreed with Kyousuke on this, but even he could see that prospects weren't looking up. "But what will I do in the meantime?"

"What everyone else is doing right now," Kyousuke grins like a child. "Come up with a present for one or more of the Busters. Handmade presents work well if you don't have money. Collaborating on a gift is okay, too. Just make sure the recipient doesn't see the gift until it's time for the exchange. Got it?"

His last two words were delivered in an oddly serious tone. This really did feel like a mission. Now it was all a matter of figuring out which of the Busters to give a present to...

"Riki," Rin, who hadn't talked much throughout the whole meeting, spoke up to me. "Let's go out shopping tomorrow."

"Uh, sure," I hesitantly agree. I felt like this was a good start for figuring out what any of the Busters would like. And so the night went on...

* * *

 _Continued in Act 2..._


	2. Act 2

I met Rin the next morning at the terrace. She wore a dull red jacket with a woolly light brown hem, its length almost managing to cover up where her skirt would be. Thankfully she was wearing her casual jeans, otherwise I'd be worrying about how cold her legs would be.

Rin doesn't spot me at once. Like always, she's tending to her army of cats, most of which don't mind the cold weather. The ones that do are the ones immediately around Rin, waiting for warmth from their protectorate. I watch quietly from the sidelines.

"Alright, Jackie, your turn," she addresses one of the mangier-looking cats. It steps forward and leaps into her lap. She proceeds to enclose it tightly in her arms. "There, there."

From the way she was holding the cat, I got the impression of a mother cradling her newborn child. It made me wonder, would Rin make a good mother? She's gotten a lot of practice taking care of all these cats, but was taking care of cats really the same as taking care of a human? I didn't think so.

"Meow~" One of the cats, Lennon, brushed up against my leg. It seemed that he noticed my arrival before Rin. I picked him up carefully, not having the best knowledge of how to carry cats, and let him rest comfortably in my arms. Hm...would I make a good father to a child?

"Rin," I call out to her. She notices me immediately.

"Ah, Riki! Go! Shoo!" She scats the cats around her away, leaving the terrace nearly empty. I approach her with Lennon in my arms, and lend him to her.

"Found this one rubbing my leg when I came here," I told her. "I hope I was gentle enough carrying him."

"You're fine, Riki," she waves it off, giving me a stern look. "Anyway, where were you?! We were supposed to be leaving right after breakfast!"

"Saigusa-san happened," I explain to her. "She wanted to official announce the transfer of roommates between Kud and Nishizono-san."

"Well, that must have been pointless," she states the obvious. "Come on, let's go."

And so we went. It was an hour or so before midday by the time we reached the market square. Already we could see a heavy Christmas influence on many of the shops and buildings there; cafes were advertising their special brand of peppermint ice cream or blends of cocoa and festive coffee. It was a veritable commercial wonderland, brimming with people. It overwhelmed Rin a little.

"Uh..." She stuck close to my side as we dove through the busy streets, which seemed to distract us from our true goal. I found it necessary to ask Rin where she wanted to shop at.

"The clothing store," she answers almost immediately. "There's something I want to look at there."

We went there as directed by Rin. The store she chose was relatively small, with a homely, rustic feel going for it. It looked more like an arts and crafts shop than a clothing store, but sure enough, there were clothes inside. They all seemed made of various kinds of fabric, including ones you wouldn't normally see made into clothes. I was a little skeptical.

"Are you sure this is where you want to look for clothes?" I ask Rin. "They don't seem very conventional."

Before Rin can answer me, I heard a familiar voice calling out to us. "Riki, Rin-san!" It was Kud, wearing cozy winter apparel. Her blood red scarf grossly stood out among her light pink beanie and fluffy white jacket. What was she doing here? Did she get the same idea as Rin for her present?

"...Kud, good morning," Rin greets her awkwardly. I do the same, but in a more familiar tone.

"Haro, eburiwan~ Haowa yu?" Kud looks very happy today. The snowpuff on top of her beanie jiggled around as she bounced towards us. She seemed a total contrast to how I saw her last night.

"Fain, sankyuu~" I answer her as she would. It made me giggle a little inside. I wonder if this is how she gets her energy?

"...What are you doing here?" Rin starts asking her.

"I'm shopping for materials!" She gladly explains. "This store is well-known for its unique material used for sewing and stitching together into all kinds of clothing articles!"

Yeah, I figured as much. That would explain the crazy styles of clothing on display. That's when I remembered: Kud can sew fabric. She made patchwork before; I saw it when I helped her unpack in Nishizono's room. That leads me to ask: "What do you plan to make with the materials?"

"It's a secret!" Ah, the typical Christmas cover-up. Now I'm curious.

"Who do you plan to give the finished product to?"

"That's also a secret!" I'd been shot down twice. I figured I should be more roundabout in what to ask.

"Well, what can be made with these materials?"

Her eyes light up. "Well, you can make just about anything. Shirts, pants, skirts, underwear, you name it! You can even make winter clothes with some of the wool and felt this store has."

"...Winter clothes, huh?" Rin suddenly seemed very interested.

"Yes, winter clothes," Kud repeats cheerfully. "I can't wait to see the look on Kurugaya-san's and Inohara-san's faces when they see the cozy clothes I'm going to make them..." She freezes at that moment. "Gaan! I've been tricked?!"

"Well, we won't tell anyone," I promise to Kud. "Right, Rin?"

Rin seemed to be deep in thought when I addressed her. "Huh?! Uh...yeah, we won't tell."

"Wafuu...you guys are the best," she breathes a sigh of relief. "Well, I'd better go make my purchases now. Tu bii kontinudo nekusuto taimu nano desu~" I swear, watching her progress in English never gets old.

"Riki," Rin interrupts my line of thought. "Let's check the fabrics."

"O-okay," I roll along with her. For some reason, though, my line of sight is still focused on Kud's bouncy figure. Is she really alright?

* * *

We left the shop around the early afternoon. Rin purchased a curious batch of solid brown and beige fabric for a surprisingly low amount. I had to reconsider the possibilities my budget could achieve after that short stop.

"So, shall we go home?" I ask Rin.

"No, there's two more stops," Rin denies my need for relief. Our brief visit with Kud left me a little drained, and having Rin drag me along for two more stops sounded agonizing. Still, I kept going for Rin's sake. I knew there would be an end, so I indulged Rin a little longer.

"Where are we going next, then?"

Rin's response is swift. "The toy shop."

I don't know how Rin knows about so many of the stores, but she seems well-versed about where and when to shop. Well, I figured, she is a girl after all. And I'd learned about some cost-effective materials from the last store, so there was likely something to learn at the next one.

The toy shop Rin picked out was also quite small and out of the way, its appearance mimicking that of a brick-and-mortar shop in a Christmas diorama. It was rare to see one of these thrive in Japan, but I suppose its cozy, unambitious feel is what drew Rin here in the first place. I kind of liked it myself.

Inside were rows and rows of toys that I simultaneously did and didn't recognize. Those that I did recognize were toys I hadn't seen since I was a kid. There were stuffed animals lined up on racks hanging just under the ceiling, some of them in the form of weird animals I didn't recognize. There wasn't a single ordinary-looking toy in the store.

"Mm..." Rin didn't seem as enraptured, but that had to be because she had been to the store before. Her eyes were the exact same as they were yesterday, when she was scrutinizing me. Curious, calculating, full of intent. They seemed like eyes that were ready to overturn the world to find the ideal Christmas present.

"Ah, pardon me," a familiar voice apologizes as she bumps into me. "Huh? Riki-kun?"

"Saigusa-san?" I was surprised to see her here. "What are you doing here?"

"Yahaha, wouldn't you like to know?" She started teasing me. My guess was that it had something to do with the party, but she quickly dispelled the thought. "I'm here to get something for Little Kud."

"As a Christmas present?" I asked her.

"Of course not," she denied my theory with a hearty laugh. "I'm getting it for her to welcome her as my new roommate."

"Does Kud even like playing with toys?"

"Sometimes she does," Saigusa-san answered with a smug grin. "Miocchi told me that she likes anything that reminds her of her home. Not that I know what that means."

Saigusa-san laughed heartily as she moves past me towards the counter. "I would like to purchase this funny-looking anteater, please."

It was at this moment I realized that Rin had wandered off. I felt tempted to look for her, but something deep inside me was bothering me. The image of Futaki-san's cold rejection of my offer still burned itself inside my skull. I had to tell Saigusa-san about it. I'm not sure what I was thinking of then was right, but I figure I had to convince Futaki-san to stay somehow. Saigusa-san seemed like the right person for just that.

"Saigusa-san," I asked her hesitantly. "Have you been speaking with Futaki-san lately?"

"No," she gave me a quick, blank reply. "Why?"

"Can you invite her to the party on the 24th?" I plead with her. "She wouldn't listen to me when I tried."

"Riki-kun," Saigusa-san fires a slow, sharp answer in my direction. "If she wouldn't listen to you, why on earth would you think she'd listen to me?"

She snatched up her bagged anteater and left the store in a huff. I couldn't say or do anything more. For a moment, time seemed to slow down, all noise fading into a low, ambient rumble. It was the sound of a shocking realization. Futaki-san was now a lost cause.

"Riki," Rin's voice snaps me back to reality. "Let's go."

* * *

I just didn't care anymore. There was one stop left, but all I was doing was slumping behind Rin. Heh, this must be what she felt like when she hides behind my back. Had my back always been a stone wall, one of the few safe havens left for Rin? I found myself a little conflicted about my position in relation to Rin's. She was younger, therefore she was worth more than my sorry rump. Was I really any stronger a person than her?

"We're here," she stops in front of me and looks up. I glanced up at the store in front of me briefly. It looked like a small, well-worn bookstore. The coloration and wear of the wood were indicative of the shop's age and reputation. Either that, or nobody ever bothered to clean the outside. Whatever, let's just get this over with and go home.

The interior of the bookshop smelled like old books. No surprise there. The floorboards creaked as we stepped on them. There were only two other people in the shop, but I didn't bother looking at their faces. Rin looked about on her own, while I slumped myself on the left of the doorway.

"Excuse me," a girl with a quiet voice addressed me as I settled down. "I need to leave through the door."

"...Alright," I answered as I moved out of the way. I just barely caught the girl's face as she walked past me. It was familiar, someone who shouldn't have been here right now. I thought I was seeing things, but experience had told me that there was always a stark difference between her and her 'other'. My eyes flashed back to life.

"Mio!" I rushed out the shop to meet her, but within my field of view, she was gone. It was as if she was never there.

What was going on with me today? People and opportunities were disappearing left and right, as if Christmas was never meant to be for me. I was dangerously close to shouting to the sky, renouncing any semblance of claim to my life and cursing whatever religious deity came into my head first. I was angry, hopeless even.

"Riki," a cold whisper voiced itself, as if a human ice sculpture's hand were laying itself on my shoulder. It was trembling, much like how it was last night. The Reaper was keeping tabs on me. Not simply because it was her duty to, but because she could hardly think about anything else. I was in danger of dying to my best friend.

"Kud," I dispelled my fear of the spirit with her name. I couldn't see her anywhere, but I could feel her. She was cold, just like I imagined Death would be. Her breath was an odorless perfume, formless but sweet. She was ready to embrace me...but was I ready to let her?

"Riki," she repeated my name. It wasn't a seductive touch; rather her crackling, icy sorrow was beckoning me not to give in. As much as I knew she wanted to embrace me, it hurt her to let me be hers alone, as well as to ignore her lust for my dying flesh. It was a painful Catch-22. It could only be broken if I had earned the right to be with her for all time. That was an impossible dream for now.

"Alright," I nodded fervently. "I'll carry on for your sake."

Having regained light in my eyes, I felt her inhuman touch shrink away from my presence. I could hear sobbing from the great beyond. Were they happy tears? To this day I still don't know for myself.

"Riki," Rin's hand finds itself on the same shoulder. "I found the..." She took a good look at me, her eyes widening with shock. "What happened to your face?!"

I felt the skin of my face. It was cold and sunken, as if a layer of construction paper were grazing bone. I could feel its coarseness as it had started to decompose. Tiny white flakes stuck to my hand when I looked at the colorless hand that felt my face.

"I...have no idea," I answered Rin, quite speechless myself.

"Riki, you've been acting weird since we left the toy store," Rin confronted me on the subject. "Is there something wrong?"

She wasn't the type to back off if I told her nothing was wrong. Especially since, quite clearly, _something_ was wrong with me. I was hesitant to tell her, but eventually the truth came out.

"I'm...worried," I tell her slowly. "About everyone going away."

Surprisingly, Rin seemed to understand immediately. Her eyes droop. "Yeah...I want Komari-chan to stay too." She was silent for a while, but then she looked at me with a strange conviction. "But you can't get worked up about it. She's only gone for the holidays."

Her words were kind, but they didn't cheer me up in the slightest. "Kyousuke was counting on me...I'm failing him as we speak. I can't just stand here shopping with you!"

"Idiot, didn't you hear what he said?" Rin gives me an irritated stare. "You should be focusing on finding a present for who's left. He never once said they were lost causes. Getting the party ready is more important right now than ensuring all the guests arrive."

"Yeah, but..." I struggled to argue with her. "I just can't stop thinking about what might happen..."

"That's your problem," Rin shares with me bluntly. "You never stop thinking. Try doing something actually productive for once."

"But I..." I ran out of words to argue with. She's right, I haven't done a single thing towards making the party a reality. As far as I knew, it was already going to be a reality. Kyousuke would make it happen regardless of what I did. But what was the point of me being there if I didn't put forth my own effort, as the other Busters were doing? As Rin herself was doing? She had her present in the bag. What did I find?

"Alright," I exhaled reluctantly. "I'll focus on finding a present."

"Well, don't tell me about it," she yells at me. "Go do it!"

"Okay, okay!" I make a break for it back down the street. Rin scampers after me, screaming her lungs out. "Don't leave me behind, moron!"

* * *

I revisited the craft and clothing store from earlier and bought some of their clearance fabric. Rin helped me pick out some good solid colors, and I carried them out in a plastic tote bag. We were both quite exhausted from running and shopping, but I felt so full of light and ideas that I couldn't wait to return to the dorm.

"I bought a book for working with fabric at the bookstore," Rin fills me in. "You can borrow it when I'm done."

"Thanks, Rin," I nod. I couldn't be happier to receive her help.

Our walk back to the school grounds was rather quiet despite all of our recent activity. The sun was going down fast, so I guessed curfew was close. Futaki-san would be mad if she found out we were out until late.

I sighed. "Futaki-san..."

"Hm?" Rin caught what I said. "What about Futaki-san?"

"Nothing," I shook out the thought. "Just processing stuff in my head."

"Riki, don't think too hard about it," Rin cautions me. "Just focus on what's in front of you."

"What's in front of me..." Another dangerous thought came to my mind. Did Rin mean...no, that couldn't have been it. Sure, it's been at least six months, but she still can't seriously be thinking about...?

"Rin?" I thought I might regret what I was saying here. "What do you think of me right now?"

Her eyes bobbled with the same childish blankness I knew her for. "Hm? I don't understand."

"I mean, it's been a while since we last dated," I gave her some context. Her eyes light up at the word 'dated'.

"Oh, that's what you meant," she answers with greater understanding. "Well...hm..."

Her face contorted itself in every conceivable way as she thought long and hard about my question. I found it a little ironic that she told me to stop thinking, and yet she took her sweet time thinking about what I'm saying. That's why I felt I should stop her.

"It's alright if you don't know," I tell her. "I'm not sure I know what I think of you myself."

"Riki?" Rin gave me a curious look of disbelief.

"I think what we had wasn't so much love as it was an obligation to be together," I continue. "We were more like brother and sister than actual lovers."

"Hm...maybe you're right," Rin nods slowly. "I still don't quite get it, though. Why couldn't we be lovers even though we were already close?"

"I'm not saying we couldn't," I clarify for her. "I just think...neither of us really knew what it meant to love at that time."

"Mm..." Rin pondered my words for a while. "Riki, what does it mean to love?"

I couldn't look her straight in the eyes anymore. I didn't know the answer. In my experience, love was something that couldn't be explained, only felt. I think Kurugaya-san understood that by the time we started dating. Rin wanted a meaning, because she only understood something by its strict definition. Nonetheless, I think she had as much of a capacity to love as Kurugaya, if not more.

"I wish I could tell you," I settled on telling her. If that was true, then wasn't my love for the gang a lie? Did I not truly love the girls I dated? I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe I was contradicting myself. I had to add: "I think it's one of the few things that can't be explained. Like magic, I guess."

"Magic, huh?" Something seemed to click into place for her. "Isn't Christmas magical? Doesn't that make Christmas a time to experience love?"

Now that I think about it, I think she was onto something. Christmas was kind of a time for spreading love and cheer to all. My heart warmed as my mind turned towards the gang. Kyousuke and the others...everything we did was a labor of love. Christmas would be no exception.

"I...I think you're right," I tell Rin. "There may be no better time to experience love than Christmas."

Rin smiled quietly. We didn't say much else before we reached the gate, at which point we were met, not by Futaki-san, but by Kengo. His expression didn't look good at all.

"Kengo?" Rin acknowledged his presence before I did.

"Welcome back, you two," he spoke in a low voice. "Just so you know, Kyousuke's caught some sort of influenza."

* * *

We rushed over to Kyousuke's room, but we were stopped at the door by Masato. His face ought to have been made of stone, it was so stoic. "No one's allowed in Kyousuke's room unless he says so," he briefs us.

"What's happened to Kyousuke?!" Rin had been in a panic since Kengo told us the news.

"I don't know, he just collapsed while we were out shopping!" Masato couldn't keep a stoic face forever, so his sudden irritation was strangely comforting to me. "We were talking to Kamikita-san and Little Kud at the bakery when it happened. Maybe one of the samples upset his stomach..."

"Well, I don't think it would have happened immediately if that was the...wait," I stopped myself for a moment. "Did you say Kud was there?"

"Yeah," Masato nodded. "She had this odd look on her face, like she was about to grow some extra muscles and strangle someone. It was pretty scary."

"I don't see how that could be scary coming from you," I retorted. "But I'm worried about Kud. I'm gonna go see her."

"Hey, what about Kyousuke?!" Rin yelled after me.

"I'll come back to see him! Kud's more important right now!" I don't hear Rin following me. Please hang in there, Kyousuke...

The sun was nearly down by the time I made it out of the boys' dorm. I had to see if Kud was still around at the girls' dorm. I ran as fast as I could, clinging hard onto my bag of fabric from the store.

When I asked the dorm head, she told me she left almost as soon as I arrived. Crap, I didn't have much time. She was going to break into Kyousuke's room if I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't let him die, not before Christmas!

I stopped in the middle of the field between the girls' and boys' dorms. Kud often appeared here when I was in my room, so she had to appear close by tonight. If I didn't see her, she might have already made her way into the building. I had to come up with a way to get to Kyousuke's room.

Kyousuke's room was on the far end of the second floor, so the only other way in was to climb through the window. I had no clue how I was going to get up there. A simple rope wouldn't be enough; I needed a grapple to latch on to the window, if not outright break a glass pane. Again, I had nothing that could work in place of a grapple. Oh, what should I do? The sun faded away into the horizon as I fretted over how to save Kyousuke...

Night. Silence. None of the usual noises of nature pervaded through the walkway between the dorms, not even the wind. There was only the faint buzzing of the night lamps as they rapidly flickered on and off. The air grew ominously colder, and the sky became like murky swamp water. I shivered in place. This unnatural chill signaled to me the end of life itself. Not my life specifically, but someone I loved. _**She was here.**_

"Grrr..." I heard the low growl of two large hounds. Strelka's growl had a strange squeaking sound mixed in with it, while Belka's was rumbling like a motocross bike's engine. They were hostile, ready to kill me at a moment's notice. Would Kud really do this to me? She must have known I would try to stop her. Then...why?

"Strelka, Belka," I called out their names to dispel my fears. "Calm down. I'm not your enemy."

My pleas were promptly ignored. Belka lunged first, aiming for my arm. I give it to him hard.

 **WHAP!** Belka flew back five feet as my fist connects with his snout. My fingers throbbed from the impact. "Agh, gosh, that hurt! Stop this, please!"

Strelka ran at me next, and I watched her closely to see where she would bite. She wasn't jumping, so she must be aiming at...my side!

"I told you to STOP!" My free hand smacked Strelka aside as I dodged her attack. She didn't slide far, but I heard her whimper a little. That must have hurt...

"I don't have time for this!" I ran towards the boys' dorm, a recovered Belka chasing after me. "Uwaaaaah!"

I ran screaming into the boys' dorm, flying up a floor while Belka trashed it. I could hear screams coming from other rooms as the reckless hound tore through them in search of me. By the time I made it up the stairs, I was sure he would be caught enough in the ruckus to lose track of me.

Boy, was I wrong. As I reached the floor Kyousuke's room was on, Strelka had somehow managed to reach the second floor. She blocked my path with fierce intent, combined with a low growl. As I stood there paralyzed, Belka had caught up to me, leaving me cornered on all sides.

"Rin! Masato! Someone help!" I called out desperately to anyone in the vicinity, but nobody came. This was the end of the road for me, I was sure of it. Belka looked ready to slice me apart and feast on my entrails. Strelka, on the other hand, only seemed concerned with blocking my path. If she wasn't going to attack me, then I had to make sure Belka didn't. I turned my back on Strelka to face him.

"I don't know what you plan to do with Kyousuke," I stared him down, "But it's gonna be over my dead body!"

"Back off from Riki!" From out of nowhere, a fleeting shadow dropped from the ceiling and pinned Belka with a single kick. I immediately recognized it as Rin.

"Rin!" I called out to her.

"Riki, behind you!" At Rin's behest, I turned around just in time to see Strelka leap at me. I leapt aside in time for Strelka to land close to Rin.

"Unyaa!" Rin nails Strelka's lower jaw with another perfectly placed kick. Strelka flies backward across the hall from the sheer force. "Riki, go! Quickly!"

I nod, and run in the direction Strelka flew. I could hear Rin continuously kicking Belka as I ran. I should apologize to him later.

At the end of the hall stood Masato at the designated door. Strelka lay in a heap by the hall's end, struggling to get up after Rin's oddly strong kick. I run straight to Masato in a sweaty, breathless mess. "Masato, let me in!"

"I told you already," he tells me in the same stoic manner as earlier. "No one goes in unless Kyousuke says so."

"Now's not the time to act cool, Masato! Kyousuke will die if I'm not in there!" As I argued in front of him, Strelka regained her footing and lurched forward with a nasty growl. I shut my eyes and prepare to get mauled. The sharp claws and fangs don't reach me, however. They've been stopped by Masato's meaty fist.

"How else am I gonna pull off something like this unless I stay cool?" Masato answers me with a haughty grin. "Go inside. He's been waiting for you for some time."

"Thank you, Masato," I breathe a sigh of gratitude, and run past him into Kyousuke's room. I heard Masato's handful of dog snout squeeze tight, Strelka whimpering in pain behind me.

The room, to my surprise, was empty. The window wasn't open, nothing was turned on. Kyousuke's stack of manga remained neat and untouched. The only sign of life in the room was the sound of Kyousuke's sleeping breath under his bed. Thank heaven he was still alive. I knew Kud had to be close by, though. I started searching the room.

"Kud?" I called out to her. "Kud, where are you? I know you're in here, answer me!"

"Riki," she answered in a clear, but sad voice. "Why did you come?"

I turn away from the direction of Kyousuke's bunk, close by the window. Her figure was there, clear as the moonlight outside. It was her hunting hour. I kept my distance while also staying close to Kyousuke's bedside.

"You should know very well why I came," I yell at her. "Kyousuke is my best friend!"

"He is close to death," she wails. "You should know what happens to people who fail to die."

The undead. I've heard stories, watched movies about them. Kyousuke becoming like a zombie was already too much a thought to bear. I knew it was Kud's job to prevent their existence, but I didn't want to let go of Kyousuke. Not before Christmas!

"Riki," Kud repeats my name. "I'm sorry to do this to you, but if you won't step aside..."

From beneath her ghostly mantle, the form of a long, demonic scythe emerged in Kud's small grip. It stood taller than Kud herself, and the blade was more than half as long. I had no idea how she was able to carry something that huge, but I've seen it in action. It was ruthless, desperate to cure its insatiable hunger for a human's life force. It seemed to grin as it licked the blood of its victims. I wasn't going to let that thing touch Kyousuke!

"This isn't you, Kud," I plead with her one last time. "If Kyousuke dies, the Busters die. You don't want that, do you?"

"This was never about the Busters, Riki," Kud answered, raising her scythe. "It's just how things need to be."

In a flash, the scythe cut through the air at impossible speeds. I closed my eyes and braced for impact, but I didn't feel any pain. I opened one eye. Kud stood there in the same spot, scythe-less and panting. I looked behind me, and I noticed the scythe embedded in where Kyousuke was sleeping.

"Kyousuke?! KYOUSUKE!" I threw myself against the scythe, pushing it off him as hard as I could. It wouldn't budge. Already the sheets were stained with his blood. I couldn't fight back the tears. **He was dead!**

"UWAAAAAAH!" I threw myself on his corpse and cried. I didn't care if I got blood on my clothes. His sleeping breath...had faded away. His eyes had...lost all light within them. Any missions we could have had together...would never be. He was gone...he was gone, HE WAS GONE!

"This..." My trembling fists crunched up. "This is your fault."

Kud said nothing in response. She watched me in silence, satisfied in her work but keeping her true feelings in the dark. I hoped she was happy with her decision, because I sure as heck wasn't! Answer me, darn it! Give me back Kyousuke!

"Give him back!" I rushed at Kud to hit her, but she caught my fist perfectly. I threw my other one, but she caught it too. I tried kick her, but she twisted my arms around to paralyze me. I was useless against her. I knelt in front of her, massaging my injured arm. Then she did something unthinkable.

"Riki..." She kneels to my level, wraps her arms around me and rests her head on my shoulder. "I'm sorry..."

"Liar..." My voice cracked. I couldn't yell at her anymore, I was so distraught. "You could have held back...you could have stayed away...Don't say you're sorry! You killed Kyousuke! You deserve to die!"

"Yes," Kud answers, crying herself. "I deserve to die...I should have died long ago...with my parents."

"Uwaaaah..." I kept crying on her shoulder. I was so lost in mourning and confusion, I didn't know how to react to her words. I kept listening.

"Riki," she sobbed. "Kyousuke was...keeping us apart. As much as I didn't want to...I had to, for your sake...We need to stop living...in Kyousuke's shadow..."

"Uuuuu..." My cries died down. I didn't care about revenge anymore. I just wanted someone to cry to. I wasn't ready to forgive Kud yet, but for now, I was calm. Kud continued to embrace me carefully throughout the night...until I fell asleep.

* * *

When I awoke, I was in my room. My eyes burned, and the rest of my face was boiling hot. I took my time getting out of bed, in order to get used to the cold. "Ugh...what happened?"

I remembered the last rays of twilight. The fight with Strelka and Belka. Rin and Masato. I entered Kyousuke's room...and everything went black. Something wasn't right. What happened in Kyousuke's room? Or rather, what happened to _me_ in Kyousuke's room?

"Did Kyousuke...make it?" I couldn't be sure. Part of me hoped for the best, but I was also worried that I didn't have the strength to make it. I guessed the best way to know was to see Rin and Masato, maybe Kengo if I couldn't find them.

"Alright," I gathered up myself. "Let's go."

I opened the door...and saw Komari there. "Oh?"

"Huh? Howaah!" Komari jumped back at the sight of me. "I-I-I'm sorry, Riki-kun! I wa-wasn't trying to open the door while you were asleeeeep~!"

"Well, I'm awake now," I answered her. "Good morning, Komari."

"Uuuee...don't scare me like that, Riki-kun..." She seemed rather lively today.

"So, what did you want?" I asked her. She took some time to compose herself before replying.

"Well," she started, smiling like her usual self. "I came to wish you a good morning."

"Well, good morning to you too," I smiled back.

"Good morning, Riki-kun," she responded in kind. Neither of us knew what to say next, so we just stood there for what seemed like a full minute. I noted the pleasant noise of birds chirping outside, the ticking of my alarm clock, and the squeaking of the floorboards. Komari didn't look like she had any sort of ulterior motive behind coming to see me. Actually, why was she here?

"Um..." "Ah..." We both spoke about the same time. "Aha...you go first, Riki-kun."

"No, you go first," I reply politely. "I'm sure what you have to say is more important."

"No, I don't really have anything to say," Komari refused with a sheepish smile. "I just wanted to let you know how healthy you look."

"Well, um...thanks," I replied, pleased but a little red-faced. "I thought you were leaving for home yesterday. Did something go wrong?"

"Hue? Leaving?" She looked a little confused. "Riki-kun...what are you talking about?"

Her words left me stunned. I thought I was hearing things; I couldn't help but push a little further. "For Christmas! You were going to see your family for Christmas! Did a bus crash? Did your plans fall through? WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"R-R-Riki-kun, are you...are you okay?" She was looking at me like I was a crazy person. "I didn't say anything about going to my parents' house...I'm going to spend Christmas with you and the other Busters, _remember?_ "

I couldn't believe my ears. Either Komari had bad memory or something was wrong with me. I wasn't inclined to believe either. I knew what I saw. I knew what I heard. This didn't sit right with me...but...I wasn't unhappy. Komari seemed completely fine, and yet...she would sacrifice time with her family...for me and the other Busters? That just didn't seem right.

"Komari," I asked her, still rather serious in tone. "Where are Rin and Masato?"

"Fue? They're in the cafeteria, waiting for you," she replied innocently. I wasted no time moving past her and rushing to the cafeteria. I had to see for myself if they were okay after last night, if they even remembered anything about it.

"Masato! Rin!" I yelled out as I reached the cafeteria. I spotted them quickly, as did they. They seemed as though they were chatting peacefully with the others.

"Ah, morning, Riki," Masato greeted me with his usual grin. "Have a good rest?"

"Masato," I confronted him, "What do you remember about last night?"

"Huh? Last night? What about it?" His attitude seemed to mirror Komari's when questioned. That did not give me hope.

"Riki, what's wrong?" Rin asked me with a look of genuine concern. "Did you hit your head or something?"

"I...don't know," I told them. "What...what happened while I was in Kyousuke's room?"

"Oh, that," Masato's eyes lit up. "You took a while in there. I don't know what you two were talking about, but you looked really out of it when you came out. Your face still looks kinda red...Did Kyousuke make you cry?"

"N-no," I told them. "It was..."

"You cried in front of Kyousuke?" Rin gave me a weird look. "What a stupid thing to do."

"I wasn't crying in front of him," I asserted my previous statement. "It was because of..."

"Yo, everyone," a shockingly familiar voice addressed us. I looked in his direction, and was taken aback by who it was.

"Kyousuke..." He looked as fit as he was before. He looked perfectly unharmed. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was him, it was really him!

"Morning, Riki," he spoke directly to me, sounding a little stuffy. "Did I make you worry?"

"Kyousuke!" I rushed up to hug him. He felt real, smelled real, sounded real! I couldn't stop crying in front of him. I couldn't let go of him. Everyone else seemed quite shocked.

"Riki?" Rin glared at me. "What's happening to you? Did you catch his stupid cold or something?"

"Settle down, Rin," Kyousuke let out a joyful, throaty laugh. "I'm sure Riki has his reasons for hugging and crying on my chest this early in the morning."  
"It seems rather strange, though," Masato agreed with Rin. "He wasn't like this until after he left your room last night."

"I second that statement," Kengo observed, eyes cross. "Although I must say, he's the most expressive out of all of us when it comes to you."

"Well, if anyone minds being loved unconditionally by someone like him, it's not me," Kyousuke gargles to himself with his warm smile.

"Kyousuke..." I sniffed up happy tears. "I thought you were...but how?"

"Don't mind that, Riki," Kyousuke lightly wiped away my tears with his right index finger. "Just focus on our Christmas plans right now."  
"...Yeah," I nodded. "Alright."

* * *

At breakfast, we discussed the current state of the upcoming Christmas party. Masato, Kengo and Rin threw around ideas that we could do for activities. Kyousuke considered them all carefully, shooting many of them down. When asked why, he simply answered: "Let's not get too organized about this. The goals of this party are to have fun and be merry." Ah, I'm tearing up just from remembering that.

"Kyousuke," I asked him in the middle of all this hubbub. "Komari told me that she would be joining us for the party instead of going to her parents' house. Did you say something to convince her?"

"Actually, I didn't," he answers with a clear conscience, but without a clear throat. "Kengo did."

I looked at Kengo. He was looking quite proud of himself. "When I heard that some of the members were leaving for the holidays, I made a few arrangements with their families. They've all agreed to let them stay."

"Kengo," my mouth stood agape. "You're amazing."

"Thank me later," he smiled. "We have a party to organize."

* * *

 _Continued in Act 2..._


	3. Act 3

And that leads us to today, December 24th. The day of the party. Everyone has agreed to help set up in the cafeteria. I've been tasked with setting up the streamers, but I'm in need of masking tape. Saigusa-san was 'working' close by.

"Saigusa-san, hand me the tape," I request from her.

"Oryaaa!" Saigusa-san throws the tape like a wicked fastball at me. It flies straight past my face and hits the ceiling, landing on the floor. She stands there awkwardly, before shouting, "Strike!"

"We're not playing baseball!" I shout at her. "Just pick up the tape and hand it to me..."

"C'mon, why can't putting up decorations be fun?" Saigusa-san laughs, unrepentant. "It is Christmas Eve, after all. Why don't we take it easy?"

"If we take it easy, there won't be a Christmas party," I turn her down. "Sometimes we need to work before we can play, Saigusa-san."

"Chee, you're no fun," she groans. She picks up and hands me the tape before walking away.

...There, that should do it. All the streamers are set up. It's rather lovely how festive this corner of the cafeteria looks compared to how empty it was before. Select tables were decorated with appropriate dinnerware and other décor provided by Saigusa-san and Kurugaya-san. All that's missing is the presents and food, the latter of which is being provided by Midori.

"Ah, Riki," Kyousuke remarks gruffly as he walks by. "Good work with the streamers."

"Kyousuke," I acknowledge him upon seeing him. "Where is everyone else?"

"Most of them are making final preparations on their gifts," he remarks, sniffing up his cold. "Speaking of which, Riki, is your gift finished yet?"

"Almost," I remark. "I had the pattern and cloth sent to a tailor. It should be delivered to my dorm by this evening."

"Isn't that expensive, though?" Kyousuke croaks, coughing a little. "Sorry, Riki. I'm still a little under the weather even though it's been three weeks."

"It's alright, Kyousuke," I forgive him. "Some of the other Busters covered the cost. What about you? Is your gift finished?"

"Uh, yeah," Kyousuke answers semi-confidently. "It took a little time to prepare, but I got it ready."

"Cool," I respond with joyful anticipation. "I can't wait for the other Busters' gifts, too!"

"Yeah," Kyousuke gargles despondently. Something didn't seem right about him. Maybe his flu was getting the best of him. He was already doing enough in his condition as it was.

"Kyousuke," I ask him worriedly. "Are you sure you'll be fine?"

"Don't worry about me," he smiles as he usually does. "It's died down enough that I can move about. Just focus on what's important right now. Go ask the other Busters if they need help. Rin, especially."

With that request, he walks past me while trying his best not to sneeze. I am sincerely worried for him, but I know Kyousuke. He isn't the type to let an illness keep him down. He is my hero; that is why I must do everything in my power to do as he asks. I head out of the cafeteria, looking around for Rin.

The afternoon air had by now lost its crispness, giving way to a cold so humid and chilling, not even Masato could be caught dead without a coat. I wasn't expecting anybody to run around in this cold, except maybe Saigusa-san out of her own silly nature. It had snowed around a week ago, and her face was implanted in the ground virtually everywhere there was snow. I'm surprised she didn't catch whatever Kyousuke caught doing that.

The girls' dorm was surprisingly busy, at least in the halls. I could hear tons of giggling coming from the left wing. When I approached the entryway, I was stopped by Futaki-san.

"I don't believe you have any business here, Naoe-kun," she stares me down with a warning tone. "Even though everyone inside trusts you, I don't. Go away."

I choose to ignore her request. "Is Rin inside?"

"Natsume-san? I don't believe she's returned," she shakes her head. "You'd do best to look elsewhere."

"Thanks," I answer gratefully. "See you at the party."

"You won't," she shouts back as I leave. I figure Rin has to be at the terrace with her cats. I make a break for that area.

In the middle of my stride, I pass by the school courtyard. The zelkova tree is naked, robbed of its leaves and slowly withering. It reminds me of the time I spent with Nishizono Mio, those times when she used to read poetry, eat lunch with me and sleep on my shoulder when finished. I miss her a lot.

As I pass by the dying zelkova tree, a shadow of a person emerges from behind its cold, rough bark. It's Midori. What was she doing here?

"Riki-kun," she addresses me. "I was hoping you'd come along here."

"Are you here to stop me from thinking about Mio again?" I half-joke with her. "Because it didn't work the first time."

"I'm not here for that," she rolls her eyes. "I've played with you enough. I just wanted to talk to you for a moment."

"Talk for a moment?" I look at her with some skepticism. "That seems so unlike you."

"I know, right?" She laughs heartily. "Nice change of pace to not have an agenda, don't you think?"

"I still don't believe you in that regard," I chuckle. "For all I know, you could be keeping me from seeing Rin."

"You're going to see Rin-chan?" She loosens her smile a little. "Don't tell me you guys are dating again? 'Cause it didn't work the first time."

"Way to turn my words on me," I sigh. "It's really important that I see her. Kyousuke told me to..."

"Ah, Kyousuke sent you to go find her," she remarks as if mocking my words. "I don't mind if Kyousuke sent you, but how much of Kyousuke's goodwill is in you, I wonder? Kyousuke can wait until I'm finished."

"But..." I have no room to protest. She grabs me and brings me over to the bench a few feet away. She dusts off the snow with her free hand, and we sit together on the cold, wet, varnished wood. Midori giggles as our eyes meet.

"I wasn't expecting much, but you haven't changed after all this time," she laughs. "Mio was lucky to have someone like you as a boyfriend."

I reflect back on that time. Mio and I definitely were a couple, and for a while we worked great together. Then I developed feelings for Kurugaya, and I had to let her go. She was heartbroken, yes, but she took it better than I thought. We remain good friends to this day, but Midori being here leaves me wondering if she's once again considering leaving this existence.

"Midori," I ask her. "Are you sure Mio is coming back after the holidays?"

"I meant what I said," she nods. "She will come back. I promise you that."

"Then why are you here, exactly?" I ask. "You've never shown up until now, and you've never been seen together with Mio since that day. Why are you here now?"

Midori holds still for a while, a rather serious look falling on her face. Her eyes roll around for a moment in thought, until they realign themselves with mine. "Mio made a wish. It was a rather simple wish, but pulling it off wasn't quite as simple."

"What was her wish?" I have a feeling I know the answer already.

"To be in two places at once," she answers grimly. "With her family and her friends. She couldn't bear to leave either behind, so she enlisted my help."

"And you answered?"

"I had no power to answer," she rolls her eyes. "The funny thing about Christmas is that it _is_ magical. A Christmas wish goes a long way in making the impossible possible. So, begrudgingly, I'm here."

"You don't want to be here?" I find myself quite surprised by her words. All this time...she didn't want to celebrate with us?

"I'll be honest, Riki-kun," she remarks. "I don't know what Mio sees in you or the Little Busters. The only connection I have to this place is Mio herself. I'm here for her own selfish reasons. But I don't fault her for it. I have my own selfish wish."

"What's that?" I press further, but she doesn't answer. She gets up off the bench, steps back a bit and turns to me with a smile.

"To know what it means to love," she winks, sticking her tongue out. She starts running away, but manages to shout out to me: "Get going! Rin-chan's waiting for you!"

With Midori's leave, I get up and run for the terrace. I have a feeling what she's asking for is truly impossible...

* * *

Sure enough, Rin is where I thought she'd be. I watch her closely from afar, as I usually do. She seems to be doing something a little different with the cats today. Her largest cat, Dorj, sits in a corner having a nice, undisturbed nap.

"Alright, everyone, let's parade," Rin claps her hands together. She begins to chant a short song that might have sounded better in a children's show than here. "In a little shack of two old people~ There lived two cats, two cats, two cats~ In the dead of winter among other noises~ They had four cats, eight cats, twelve cats~"

My surprise doesn't come from the strangeness of her chosen lyrics; rather, it's the fact that the cats are all lining up single-file behind her ankles as she clapped and sang. It looks so silly, I nearly give away my presence trying to contain my laughter. I kinda don't want this to end, but there's only so much time before the party. I walk into her view.

"Rin," I address her. She jumps upon seeing me, her head growing red hot in embarrassment.

"R-Riki!" All the cats disperse as the parade screeches to a halt. Dorj wakes up slowly, yawning a big "Nuoo~" as he does.

"Rin," I repeat her name. "Did you need any help with preparations for tonight?"

"N-no," she stutters, still a little shocked and upset. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Kyousuke said you might need help with something," I tell her. She calms down a little at that moment.

"Kyousuke should know that I'm done with my gift," she groans. "I mean, I told Saigusa-san to tell him, at least."

"I saw her at the cafeteria," I recall to her. "I didn't see her talking to him, though."

"That idiot's so slow," she insults her brother in front of me. "I bet he forgot to make his present, too."

"He told me he didn't," I clarify to her. She doesn't seem convinced.

"I'll believe it when I see it," she responds with hard skepticism. Just about then, my phone vibrates. I pull it out and check my messages. Seems Kud is alerting us about the party. It shouldn't be too long before it starts.

"We should get going," I tell Rin. "The party's starting soon."

Rin nods in understanding. The bell in her hair jingles as she does.

* * *

At the cafeteria, everything looks to be in order. On one of the tables, Everyone is here now, all gathered up. Me, Rin, Kyousuke, Komari, Kud, Kurugaya, Saigusa-san, Midori...wait a minute. Where was Masato and Kengo? They couldn't have been late getting their present ready...could they?

"Kyousuke," I ask. "Where's Masato and Kengo?"

"They're out in the hall, prepping something," Kyousuke answers while blowing his nose on one of the festive napkins. "They said it's part of their gift."

Suddenly I realize, did they collaborate on their gift to the other Busters? Isn't that against the rules? I look at Kyousuke. He doesn't look bothered by the idea, even if it's harder to tell due to the flu sapping his energy. Whatever the case, it makes a lot of sense for Masato and Kengo to team up. They had some really good coordination during last May's baseball game. I'm excited to see what they'll come up with.

"Riki-kun, come over here," Midori beckons me towards her small group of friends. I nod and run up to them. Kurugaya-san and Saigusa-san were next to her, and they turned to greet me.

"What's up?" I greet the three of them a little informally.

"Good to see you're in the spirit of things, Riki-kun," Kurugaya-san nods pleasantly.

"Riki-kun, Riki-kun," Saigusa-san beckons me. "Look what Midorin has made!"

I take a look at the spread of food on the table in front of me. There are a lot of foods I don't recognize, and many of them are made out of some type of bread. They must be western foods. I look at Midori, who seems quite proud of the abundance of treats she's made.

"Kud and I picked out which foods we wanted out of a western cookbook," she winks at me. "Our combined English skills aren't that great, but I believe we got everything down to a T."

"Midorin, what's this?" Saigusa-san points at a strange dark brown dessert that seems to look like a circular hill with a plateau. It is topped with a branch of holly.

"That's an English plum pudding, Haruchin," Midori answers. "It comes from England, and it's made of dried fruits, molasses, various spices and my personal favorite, raw mutton fat!"

"Uwaaaa!" Saigusa-san's face scrunches in disgust. "That...sounds...absolutely delicious!"

"Umu, I've tried plum pudding before," Kurugaya-san agrees with a nod. "I've heard it tastes best after a good year of aging the alcohol inside it."

"Um...this is alcoholic?" That fact makes me rather nervous.

"Well, there was alcohol in it," Midori remarks. "I baked it this morning, so all of it should be gone."

"Eeeh? But I wanted to get drunk with Anego!" Saigusa-san voices her disappointment at us.

"You know we're minors, right?" Kurugaya points out.

"Way to shoot me down, Anego," Saigusa-san weeps in defeat. She quickly gets over it and points to another dish on the table, filled with what looks like bite-sized pies. "Hey, Midorin, what are these?"

"Those are mince tarts," Midori explains. "They're tiny pies made of mincemeat, which is basically a mixture of dried fruits, spices and shredded meat. They're supposed to be a little sour, hence why they're called tarts."

"Uwaaaa!" Saigusa-san's face scrunches again. "That...sounds...delightfully exquisite!"

"Umu, mince tarts are quite common in English-speaking countries," Kurugaya nods. "A single tart is about eighty-two calories, so you can gain a lot of weight from these pretty quick if you're not careful."

"Eeeh?! I don't want to get fat on Christmas Eve!" Saigusa-san voices her complaints at us.

"Then don't eat..." I sigh at this ruckus she's making. At that moment, the cafeteria doors open. In steps Masato, dressed in the bright colors of Santa Claus. Close behind him is a bizarre creature dressed in a white robe, with a black face and beard. He lumbers behind Masato, holding a broom like a goblin waiting for the perfect moment to beat him to death. Everyone in the room who notices these two hold their breath.

"Yahoho, everyone!" Masato greets everyone cheerfully. "Muscle Claus is here to spread Christmas joy! This jolly fellow behind me is my companion, Shootsme!"

"That's Schmutzli, Masato," the creature spoke with Kengo's voice. Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief. Masato promptly disregards Kengo's correction and keeps talking.

"We'll be going around the room, delivering presents and candy to the good little boys and girls in the room," he explains joyfully.

"And to all the bad little boys and girls..." Kengo brandishes his broom and screams like a banshee. "HOOOOOORRRRAAAAAAA!"

Komari, Kud and Rin are the only ones in the room that scream in terror. Kyousuke also seems a little terrified, but Kurugaya-san, Saigusa-san and Midori don't seem at all intimidated. I'm sure as heck not afraid of these costumes, though I must say they're putting on an impressive performance.

"Alright, who wants first dibs on gifts?" Muscle Claus invites his guests, gleefully ignorant of Schmutzli's presence. I look around. Four of us are still too shocked to move. Two of us don't seem to have enough incentive to come forward.

"Ooh, me, me, me!" Saigusa-san quickly volunteers to go first. She skips toward him with a childlike energy in her step.

"Geh, Saigusa," Masato groans in his costume.

"Just keep calm," Kengo whispers in his ear. "I'll scare her off somehow."

With Saigusa-san in front of the burly Masato, everyone else seems anxious to know what would happen with this strange Schmutzli character thrown in the works. Komari, Kud and Rin huddle together in an effort to protect each other from the ugly creature, while Midori and Kurugaya-san continue discussing foreign Christmas foods. I'm quite curious myself how horribly wrong this can go for either Masato or Saigusa-san.

"W-well, Saigusa," Masato starts, a little nervous. "Have you been a good girl this year?"

"Hm," Saigusa-san thinks for a small moment. "Nah, I haven't really been good, have I?"

Masato's eyes widen. "How can you be so confident in saying that? You know what happens to bad girls, right?"

"Oh yeah, I get the idea," Saigusa-san explains, her simple smile tightening into a smug grin. "It's just that I'm not scared of that creature behind you that's so obviously Kengocchi I could laugh."

"You little brat," Kengo growls at her. "Naughty girls deserve to be punished!"

He brandishes his broom, but Saigusa-san makes a break for it. "Yahaha, you'll have to catch me first!"

The two of them run circles around the empty areas of the cafeteria, everyone else watching and occasionally giggling. Masato tries to regain his composure before speaking again. "Well...who's next?"

"Go, go," Komari and Rin push Kud out towards Muscle Claus. Kud hesitantly approaches him, visibly shaking in her shoes. Muscle Claus finds a reason to smile big at this adorable display.

"Ah, Little Kud," he chuckles heartily. "Have you been a good girl this year?"

"Uh...um..." Kud takes her time finding the words to say. I feel some sympathy for her, but I'm also afraid she might say no because of her nightly escapades. Not that Masato needs to know about those.

"Well?" Muscle Claus gives Kud a non-judgemental smile. Kud takes a deep breath and shouts out loud: "Nou aimu nato!"

"Eh?" Masato doesn't understand her English. "Would you mind saying that again in Japanese?"

"No, I'm not," she repeats in the correct language. "I've always been causing trouble for Riki and the other Busters...I'm not good at baseball or English...I've just been bothering everyone 'cause I'm so small and weak and helpless..."

"Little Kud, you're not any of those things," Masato responds with a stoic face. "When I ask if you've been a good girl, I didn't ask if any of those smaller details made you a bad person. They don't. For all the time I've known you, you've been the sweetest girl I know."

"Inohara-san..." Kud seems wholly swayed by his words of comfort. She looks at him in childlike awe.

"Little Kud, you are a good girl," Muscle Claus takes over, patting her on the head. "Don't let anyone take that away from you. Here," he reaches into his pillowcase of treats, "This is for you."

"For me?" Kud takes the wrapped package. "Th-thank you, Muscle Claus! I promise to be a good girl next year!"

"I look forward to it," Muscle Claus smiles warmly. "Go, tell your friends to come over here."

"Yes, I will!" Kud rushes back to Komari and Rin, showing them the present she got. I took another look at Masato. He was actually really good in his role. I want to come up to him and tell him that, but I don't want to take away a good present from the others. I can wait a while.

"Alright, who wants to talk to Muscle Claus next?" Masato resets himself, greeting Komari as his next guest. The screeches of Schmutzli and Saigusa-san can still be heard on the other side of the cafeteria.

* * *

The party had been in motion for quite some time now. Muscle Claus finished up his gig and Schmutzli eventually caught and gave Saigusa-san her just desserts. Both of them were exhausted, so they settled down and grabbed some hot wassail from Midori. I grabbed some as well. It tastes weird, but it isn't anything I can't handle.

"Say, Riki," Masato slides in the seat next to me. "Isn't your present ready yet?"

My eyes widen. I nearly forgot about it. It's supposed to be delivered to my dorm tonight, but I don't know if I can just up and leave everyone like this. The gift exchange is already taking place at this point. I don't want anyone stealing my presents.

"I don't know," I tell Masato. "I don't know if I can go check..."

"I'll hold on to your presents for you," Masato grins. "Just go and check already."

Man, Masato's the best. I can't thank him enough. "Alright, thanks."

I get up and leave the cafeteria, and make my way to the boys' dorm. I check the mailbox, but there's nothing inside except a piece of junk mail. My present is late. I start to panic. What could have happened to it? The tailor told me that it would definitely be ready by tonight. He'd send it to my dorm. Where...what happened?

"Did somebody...steal it?" It is a possibility, but there are so few people at the school I can't help but wonder if it is possible. I sigh in defeat and dread, and I close the mailbox.

"This is the worst," I curse the cold, uncaring night sky. It refuses to answer, hiding itself behind murky black clouds. I bet it's going to snow again. The world is dying around me, and I don't have any happiness to give to my recipient. She'll never know my gratitude for what's she's done for me. As I contemplate these pains, I return to the cafeteria...slowly.

As I reach the door, I hear cheering. I take a peek inside, and I see Kyousuke in the forefront of the group. He looks ready to give one of his famous speeches. I slip in quietly, and sit by one of the empty benches, far from the rest of the group.

"Dear friends," he begins, still sounding congested, "It's a pleasure to celebrate with you this night. Please do not be concerned about me. I am fighting this virus the best I can."

He turns around and blows his nose on another napkin. "Some of you may wonder why we celebrate Christmas. Even outside of Japan, I presume it is a common question. I think it's safe to say that we have answered that question with our actions tonight."

Midori speaks up. "Kyousuke, what do you mean?"

Kyousuke clears his throat and closes his eyes. "There was once a man who was born into this world with a special purpose. At a young age, he knew very well what that purpose was. As he grew older, he made every effort to help others. He taught them about the love and happiness that was in store for them, if only they believed in Him and followed His example."

Kengo, still in costume, asks: "Who was this guy?"

Kyousuke opens his eyes. "His name is Jesus Christ."

Everyone stares at him in silence, stunned and confused. Some of the Busters understood what he meant, but others were more baffled than anything about his reference to a religious figure.

"Kyousuke," Masato gasps, "Have you found religion?"

"No, I just did my research," Kyousuke adamantly denies Masato's claim. "What I'm trying to say here is that Christmas means effort. It comes from the heart. Everyone here tonight has made a sacrifice of their time, money and talents to bring our hearts closer to one another."

The stunned silence continues. Komari, still sitting in the corner with her friends, clutches her chest in awe and reverence. Kyousuke, to my surprise, turns around to face me in the far back of the room.

"Riki," he addresses me in his loudest possible voice. "Come here. You need to hear this, too."

Without any argument, I walk closer to him. As I do, he continues speaking to me. "Riki, be proud of yourself. Your effort to help us make this a reality is greater than any gift you could have given. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't arrive on time."

I can't help but be astonished by Kyousuke's foreknowledge. To me he was now more than a friend, he was as close to God as I could ever see him as. He is still my hero, and my world revolves around him. His words make me feel better than I could have ever done to anyone in this room.

Kyousuke turns back to the rest of the party, raising his glass of wassail. "Once again, dear friends, it's been a pleasure speaking to you this night. Now, Little Busters, let us continue our celebration, until this holy night becomes day! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" The rest of us raise our glasses to him and his wonderful speech. Kyousuke finally lets a sneeze loose after that. We all laugh warmly at this.

"Excuse me," a voice calls from across the cafeteria. "Is Naoe-kun here?"

All of the noise stops, and I turn to see who is calling. I can barely make out the silhouette of Futaki-san by the door, as if expectantly waiting for me to approach. I do so quickly.

"Futaki-san," I address her breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to deliver a couple things, nothing more," she tells me in a distant tone, handing me two similar-sized packages. "Take them. I'll be off to bed."

"Wait, Futaki-san," I urge her to stop. "Why don't you come to celebrate with us? We've still got plenty of food and drink to go around. I'm sure Muscle Claus has a present for you, too."

Futaki-san sighs. "I don't subscribe to your friends' hijinks," she groans slightly. "But thanks for offering. Tell Haru...er, Saigusa-san I wish her the best tonight. She needs it."

She runs off after that. It disappoints me that I can't stop her, but my grief is offset by the packages in my hand. One of them is addressed to me. Could this be...my present?

"Riki!" Kud shouts behind me. "Come on, retsu pati~!"

"Riki!" Rin screams at me. "You still need to open my present!"

"Riki!" Midori joins in the chorus of beckoning shouts. "We've still got lots of wassail! Come on!"

It doesn't matter if Futaki doesn't want to join. She can join next Christmas. Now, I have to focus on what's important: celebrating together with my friends. They're just as important to me as bringing Futaki-san into our fold. Next time, though, I definitely want to bring her here. She doesn't know what she's missing.

"I'll be right there!" I close the door to the cafeteria, and run back up to everyone. "Guys! My present came in the mail!"

"Nice," Masato grins. "Who's it for?"

"Um..." Darn, I forgot who I was going to give this to. I can't remember if it was supposed to go to Rin, Kud or Midori. Which is it for?

* * *

 _Choose, and continue at the appropriate epilogue._


	4. Epilogue - KUD

Ah, that's right. This is for Kud. She seems to be having a lot of troubles this season, so it makes sense for me to give her a present. I approach Kud and hand her the gift. She accepts it immediately.

"Wafuu~! A gift for me, Riki?" She's incredibly eager to open it.

"Go ahead and open it," I allow her with a warm smile. She tears it apart quickly, eager to see what's inside. When she sees inside the package, her eyes widen.

"This is..." Her expression falters as she examines the gift. "Riki, can I really have this?"

"Hey, show us what's in the box!" Masato shouts to her. Kud, in response, pulls out from the box a miniature Strelka. It wasn't highly detailed, but it was enough to lower everyone's spirits by a sizable margin.

"Oh, um..." Masato looks the other way upon seeing the doll. "Riki, did you have to gift that to her?"

I don't understand what he means. What's going on? Did something happen that I don't know about? Why is nobody telling me? I look at Kud again. She's cuddling the Strelka doll...and tearing up.

"I don't get it," I voice out loud. "I thought it would make you happy because it's a tiny Strelka. Why is no one happy about this? Is it something I said?"

No one utters a sound, except Rin, who looks just as confused as I am. I...just ruined the mood, didn't I?

"Riki," Kud utters to me in a low voice. "Please...come with me."

"Um...yeah," I agree. I just want to get away from this awkward atmosphere that I created. The two of us quietly leave the cafeteria, and walk outside. The outside world is darker and colder than I could have ever thought it to be. It reflects the dark, depressing spirit I feel within myself. What have I done?

Kud stops me around the area between the dorms. The reason I can still see her among this impossible darkness is the slight glow of her mantle. She's likely doing this for my sake. I can't even imagine what's going through her head right now. Where is she even taking me?

"Look there," Kud points me in the direction of the fence up against the girls' dorm. I see something that I don't recognize. It looks like a large boulder behind a mound of dirt. I approach it, Kud following close behind to provide me light. Upon reaching the boulder, I squint to get a closer look at it. There's writing inscribed on the rock, scrawled on by some kind of wedging tool. The letters are hard to read, but I remember these letters specifically. They were on Strelka's collar.

"Oh my..." I realize what this is. It's a gravestone. Below it is... "Wait...how did...?"

"Do you remember what happened before you entered Kyousuke-san's room?" Her question rings in my ears. Of course I should remember. Rin and Masato helped fight off Belka and Strelka, respectively. Masato was about to...Wait, you're kidding.

"Masato...did this?" I'm shocked. Masato...would never kill an animal...would he?

"I'm afraid so," Kud moans. "When this night ends...so will he."

"Wait..." My vision grows bright. I turn around, and I see Kud in full Reaper form, the moon in full view above the clouds. She hasn't forgiven him. From the looks of things, she might not forgive me, either.

"Do not be afraid, Riki," she assures me with a cold stare. "You will not die tonight. Nobody should have to die on Christmas...but Death does not make exceptions."

I couldn't do anything but stare at her horrifyingly elegant form. I begin to feel drowsy. Sleep is overtaking me again...Masato...don't die...

"Good night, Riki," Kud whispers to me. "I liked your present, so I promise you'll forget all about him soon."

* * *

 _END_


	5. Epilogue - MIDORI

Ah, that's right. This is for Midori. I meant to give this to Mio, but I suppose Midori's a close second. I approach Midori and hand her the gift. She seems a little surprised.

"Wow, Riki-kun," she expresses her surprise. "Out of all these people, you'd pick me? What did I do to deserve this?"

"The fact that you're here, right now, is enough," I answer her, smiling. "Open it, see what's inside."

She opens it slowly and carefully, something I didn't expect someone like her to do. When she sees what's inside the package...her face burns a bright red. The contents take her by complete surprise. Everyone watching instantly becomes curious.

"Midori, what's inside?" Kurugaya-san asks.

"I..." Midori is at a loss for words. She pulls out a plush seagull out of the box, and everyone stares at it in amazement.

"A plush seagull?" Masato remarks in surprise. "Riki, why did you make that for her?"

"It made sense, kind of," I stumble on my words, a little embarrassed. "It reminded me of Mio's poem book, and that poem with the seagull. She used to read it to me all the time; she said it was her favorite. I thought I would have a cute seagull made for her, but Mio's not here, so..."

"Riki-kun," Midori addresses me in an oddly meek tone. "Can you...come with me?"

Everyone goes silent at this moment. I let my throat swallow. "Um...yeah."

The both of us walk out of the cafeteria, outside and in front of the school gate, now closed. She feels the bars with her bare fingers, clutching the seagull plush with her other hand. I stand there, wondering what words would come out of her, here in this cold, dying world.

"Riki-kun," her voice trembles. "I don't...I don't think I can hide the truth from you...not anymore."

"What do you mean?" I ask, looking intently at her.

"You see," her voice shifts tone as she turns her gaze towards me. Her face...looks much like Mio's. "Midori was never here."

My eyes fluttered wide. "You mean...you were here, all this time?"

"Yes," Mio answers as she would, in a cold, quiet whisper. "Midori was always a part of me that I could never let go. It didn't matter if she were here in person; she was always within me. A memory, so to speak."

Suddenly I understand what she means. Mio and Midori...they are one and the same as far as she was concerned. I thought of them as two different people, but here...what kept her alive was the memory of her. Mio...and Midori...were always here. Together.

"Mio," I utter her name. "Why did you...do this?"

"Because I needed to express myself to you, without being myself," she explains. "It might have seemed like a spur-of-the-moment decision, but I had planned this as soon as my parents asked me to come home for Christmas."

"So why didn't you just go home?" I know there has to be a reason. Mio would never do anything without a good, logical reason behind it. She looks to the ground, looking sad and vulnerable.

"Because you and Kud...care about me," she trembles while speaking. "I thought I had done nothing to make a good impression on the Busters, but...you two...care about me so much..."

Her eyes water up, and she kneels on the cold ground. "I didn't think...anyone still cared about me...especially after you broke up with me...It's not fair...It's just not fair!"

Her tears fall on her dress like a light rain, crystallizing slowly on the fabric. I am not about to let her freeze herself, so I do what I can in this situation. I kneel in front of her, and embrace her.

"Mio," I repeat her name. "This is my love to you. Kyousuke was right. I didn't need a present to make you happy. I just needed to show you I cared. Mio..." I take a deep breath. "Can we...start over? As a couple, I mean?"

"You say the most painful things, Riki-kun," she finishes weeping on my shoulder. "...Yes, I'll start over."

She looks meekly into my eyes, and draws me close. Our lips meet for the first time in six months, on that snow-filled concrete, as the world dies around us. Our hearts, warm from the Christmas spirit, beat as one once more.

* * *

 _END_


	6. Epilogue - RIN

Ah, that's right. This is for Rin. She's helped me so much these past few weeks, I feel like I ought to thank her somehow. I approach Rin and hand her the gift. She doesn't take it immediately.

"What's this?" She asks me with skepticism.

"It's your present," I tell her. "From me."

She takes a while to process this. "A present to me from Riki... **WHAT?** "

"I wanted to thank you for all the time you spent helping me get this together," I explain. "I think, out of everyone here, you're the biggest reason I'm at this party. That's why I made this for you."

"That's...stupid, though," she groans. "Why are you giving me this if you haven't even opened the present I gave you?"

"You gave me a present?" I look at Masato. He's holding up a package wrapped in paper with festive cat patterns, pointing at it with a grin. I walk up and grab the package from him, and walk back to Rin. "Let's open ours together, then."

Rin looks at me in disbelief, before relenting. "...Alright."

"On three," I instruct her, barring my eyes. "One..."

"Two..." She shuts her eyes as well.

"THREE!" We rip apart our presents together. My hands touch upon something fluffy. I peek at the mess of wrapping paper and present. It's...a pair of beige mittens, with brown streaks in a similar pattern to Dorj's fur. I look at Rin.

"These are..." The mittens in her hands are brown, with beige cat prints on the back. Checking the two of them out together, you could see them as two sides of the same coin. I can't help but chuckle at this.

"They're so different," I muse, "But they're made of the same cloth."

"Yeah," Rin stares in awe, "Kinda like..."

 **KH-CHAK!** A dull grind echoes in the cafeteria. The floor beneath us starts to rumble. Everyone in the room grows pale. What's going on?

"Uhhh..." Kyousuke slumps onto the table where he is sitting. No one, besides Rin and I, reacts to it.

"Kyousuke!" Rin runs up to him and attempts to shake him awake. She takes a look at his backside, and gasps. I run up to see what made her jump. His back...has a large cut. It's bleeding profusely.

"Guhhh..." Masato falls over next. I run over to him. His neck and cheek are slashed. How...why is this happening?!

"What's going on?!" I shout as, one by one, Midori, Komari, Saigusa-san, Kurugaya-san, and Kengo all slump in their seats and fall onto the ground. The ground shakes more violently, and the room's walls, columns and ceiling make ugly cracking noises. The school is falling apart!

"Rin! We have to get out of here!" I cry out to her, but she wouldn't hear any of it. She's trying to get Kyousuke on his feet, crying intermittently.

"Kyousuke...Kyousuke, get up...Please, Kyousuke..." She's not gonna get far with him tagging along.

"Rin! We don't have time for this! Let's get out of here!" I grab her hand and pull her towards the door, but Rin pulls back hard.

"NO, NO! KYOUSUKE! KYOUSUKE!" Her grip on Kyousuke is tight. Gah, we're running out of time! I let go of her hand and grab Kyousuke's waist.

"Help me lift! COME ON!" The two of us scramble to lift Kyousuke's corpse, and we make for the door with him in tow. Kyousuke's a lot heavier than I thought. I hope he doesn't slow us down!

"Rin! Run faster!" I shout at her. She doesn't respond, but she does indeed run as fast as possible. I'm finding it hard to keep up with her...

When we reach the exit, we don't stop. We wait until we reach the school gate before stopping to look back. The damage is devastating. Every building, from the school itself to the dorms, is collapsing in on itself. It's almost as if the world itself is losing its ability to live...What did it mean?

Rin and I catch our breath by the snow-covered gate. Kyousuke's body lies, still bleeding, on the snow. I couldn't believe that he and all the other Busters were dead. In one moment, my entire world fell into an inescapable abyss. The jaws of Death feasted on eight good people today, and I can't do anything but be sad about it with the only other survivor.

Rin is so shocked, she can't even cry. She nestles close to Kyousuke's fading warmth, hoping somehow to instill his life back into him. I can't bear to tell her that it's no use, so I just lie back against the cold walls of the school gate. My pair of mittens that Rin gave me, they found themselves stained in Kyousuke's blood. I try to wash it out in the snow, but it's so dark that there's no way to tell if it's completely clean or not.

"Rin," I ask her weakly. "Are you...alright?"

Rin doesn't answer. She continues to cuddle Kyousuke's corpse, her face growing less and less defined in the surrounding darkness. I can't help but feel that what she's feeling – shock, sorrow, fear of the unknown – is my fault. If I didn't give her that pair of mittens...none of this would have happened...

"Rin...I'm sorry," I whisper with a heavy load of guilt. "This was my fault...I...shouldn't have given you those..."

"Riki..." At last, she spoke. Her voice sounds horrible, as if she swallowed a piece of glass. "Kyousuke...he's gone, isn't he?"

"Yes," I reply quietly. "He's gone."

"Riki," she asks. "I don't know what to do..."

"We might...figure something out...tomorrow," I answer unsteadily. "For now...we ought to find shelter."

"Yeah," she nods. Her hand finds my own, and clasps it tightly. It feels cold and weak, but the strength of it proves her desire to live. I grip hers tightly.

"Let's go," I urge her. We stand up, leaving Kyousuke's corpse by the gate, and walk forward.

* * *

The walk to the dorm rubble is slow, dark and loud, the once still air now blustering and beating us like drying futons. The ground is unsteady and mountainous, and we can barely stand straight. Rin and I are exhausted. Any shelter we can find from this storm would be more than enough for us tonight.

"Riki," Rin groans weakly. "How much...longer?"

"Not...too much farther," I grunt as I pull her up a particularly steep hill of rubble. "We're basically at the dorms now, so...can't be too far."

"Uuu..." Rin collapses after I pull her up. I try desperately to pull her back on her feet.

"Rin! Get...up! We're...errgh, not there yet!" At that moment, the darkness surrounding us slowly dissipates as the clouds part, and the moon shines brightly above us. I finally see a good view of where we are. Amidst the hurricane of winds beating us, I can spot some intact remnants of the first floor of the girls' dorm. I pick up Rin, who compared to Kyousuke isn't as heavy, and carry her to the half-decimated hallway.

"Who's there?!" I hear someone, clearly a girl, calling out into the night. Is someone still alive?!

"Hello! We're over here!" I call back. Before long, I see a girl walking towards us, panting. From the looks of it, it's Futaki-san. Thank heaven she got out okay.

"Naoe-kun!" She shouts upon seeing me. "What happened?! Where are Haruka and the others?!"

"They're all dead," I relate to her out loud. "They didn't make it out! Rin and I were the only ones to escape!"

"You're kidding!" She screams in surprise. "Follow me! There's a couple rooms still intact!"

We brave the fierce winds another few blocks, before Futaki-san ushers us into an open room. While she shuts and locks the door, I let Rin down on one of the available beds. Futaki-san turns to me while I recover my energy on one of the beds.

"Is...Is Haruka really dead?" Futaki-san asks me again, her voice clinging to the hope that what I said earlier was wrong. "You...must have seen her..."

"I did see her," I exhale exhaustively. "Everyone in that room...just fell over...without warning..."

"Oh my..." Futaki-san covers her mouth while gasping. She seems unable to believe what she heard. I wouldn't blame her if she never trusted me once. I don't make any sort of impression on people.

"I'm sorry..." I can't say much more than that...I'm so exhausted right now...

I must have slept for five minutes before I hear something akin to a thump against the wall. I still feel a little tired and sore, but all I'm concerned about is Rin's safety. I turn towards Rin's bed, and she seems to be sleeping soundly. Therefore, I found little reason to stir out of my bed.

Wait...where is Futaki-san? Did she go to another room to sleep in? I hope that's the case. Furthermore, I hope she's safe, wherever she is. This whole night was tough on all of us. I lie on my back, and try to drift back to sleep...

"Riki," a distant, chilling voice keeps me awake. The voice it belongs to should be long dead, but knowing her, there were few things, if any, that could kill such a being.

"Kud?" I sit up and look in front of me. Standing at the far wall is the moonlit glow of the Reaper, fully robed and accompanied by one of her guardian hounds. Belka, I believe. "What are you doing here?"

"I noticed you and Rin-san were alright," she smiles, looking a little sad. "She must have really liked your present."

"I thought you were dead," I remark. "You and all the other Busters were in that building..."

"Riki," she answers with a serious face. "I've told you before, I should have died long ago."

"I don't remember you saying that," I tell her in disbelief.

"That's right," she smiles in a ghastly, distant way. "I had to erase your memory of that night for the illusion to make sense. Yes, all of the other Busters are dead, because Kyousuke is dead."

"Wh-what do you...mean?" I can't believe what she's saying. She killed everyone?! Why?!

"It's a lot to explain," Kud sighs. "Long story short, Kyousuke needed to go away, so I could take control of this world. From there, it was easy pickings for the spirits of the other Busters. Now **I** am the Busters, and the Busters in **me**. Do you understand why I did this?"

"I..." I don't know. I can't imagine why she would do such a thing. It doesn't seem like her at all to give in to the temptation of killing, even if it was her job as a supernatural being. In my sorrow, exhaustion and confusion, I couldn't think. I was beyond words. Kud smiles at me, looking almost like a villain.

"I did it for you, Riki," she answers for me, walking up to my bedside. "I did it so we could live like we used to, eternally in love, forever and ever. I promise never to kill you, unless you absolutely wish for it. My love for you is eternal, and with the souls of the Little Busters, it has grown greater than all of them combined!" The glow of her cloak fades as she climbs onto my bed. Her humanity shows itself in full form as she caresses the skin of my cheek. Her touch is cold and seductive, but it made me feel so warm. "Riki, I love you. Be with me, and me alone...forever."

I have no strength to resist. I want to forget this pain in my heart. I want to forget everything that happened tonight, this trauma is too great. I want to leave everything to her, and we can live in the same passionate love forever...and ever...

"Mm..." Rin tosses about painfully in her sleep. I...almost forgot about her. Where will she be, in my eternal union with Kud? She, the last of the Little Busters, would be all alone. She would die soon. There's no one out there to help her. I'm all she's got...I'm all she's got left!

" **NO!** " I push Kud away. In her surprise, she stares at me with those same innocent eyes I saw in her long before I knew her as a Reaper. They were silently asking, 'Why? Why do you reject me?' I answer by climbing off the bed, walking up to Rin and kissing her cheek. She's my responsibility, and as her loyal friend, I'll protect her to the end!

"Your eternal love means nothing, if Rin isn't safe and happy," I tell her with a newfound conviction. "If Kyousuke is truly in you, he would have agreed that this isn't right. Maybe you're right; I have no obligation to the Little Busters now that they are dead. But I still have an obligation to Kyousuke to look after his precious little sister! That's right, the mission he gave me...is far from over!"

Kud looks at me in astonishment. What I said sounded pretty embarrassing, but maybe it sounds cool to her. Whatever the case, I hope this is enough to convince her to leave us alone. She ponders what I've said for a moment, Belka also wondering in the corner what her mistress' next command will be. Her pondering...turns into a wicked smile.

"Then...all I have to do is kill Rin...right?" Those are the last words I want to hear from her. Belka starts growling, and he crawls toward me. I hastily put up a defense around Rin, watching Belka's every move. I don't have the strength to actually kill this massive dog, but I can stall him long enough to prevent him from killing Rin.

"That's right, fight Belka," Kud jeers at me. "I'll get to work on Rin-san."

Crap, I can't take Kud on and face Belka at the same time. I need an ally. What can I do to get Futaki-san's attention? Hm...what would Saigusa-san do?

"YAHAHA," I scream crazily into the night in my best Saigusa-san voice. "EVERYONE IS NO FUN, THE LITTLE BUSTERS ARE THE BEST! FUTAKI-SAN IS AN IDIOT!"

This is enough to at least distract Kud and confuse Belka long enough for me to grab Belka's snout. He snarls and tries to open his jaw the best he can, but I manage to use all my strength to pin him against the wall and kick him. I kick his legs, his male pride and his stomach as hard as I can. Belka drools and whimpers in pain with each successive kick. I drop him at this point and focus the rest of my energy on stopping Kud.

"Kud," I cry out to her. "Stop this now!"

She simply laughs, pulling out her scythe. I run up and grab the upper part of her scythe. There isn't much of a struggle, as she's strong enough to flail me around like a kite. As her scythe nears its trajectory, I manage to connect my feet onto Rin's arm. This instills enough of a reaction to wake her up!

"Ow! What on-" She sees me struggling with Kud, and gasps. "Uwah!"

At that point, Belka regains his strength and leaps onto Rin. Rin reacts just in time to return a kick to his male pride. Belka whimpers and falls onto the floor.

"That's enough!" Kud manages to throw me off her scythe and try another blow. Rin dodges just in time, the blade embedding itself in the mattress. She runs along the length of the pole and gives Kud a fierce kick in her face. WHAP!

"Wafuu!" Kud stumbles backward onto my bed. Rin doesn't stop there; she jumps down, minding the scythe's pole, and kicks her in several places, screaming, "DON'T! EVER! HURT! RIKI! AGAIN!"

Rin eventually gets too tired to kick Kud, who is thoroughly bruised and bloodied at this point, looking too exhausted to move. I get up myself, and catch Rin just in time. All of us are looking worse for wear, especially poor Belka, who may never be able to make little Strelkas or Belkas again. Thankfully, Futaki-san steps into the room soon after that.

"What's going...Holy crap!" She observes the damage taken to this room, and to us. She runs up to us and asks, "Are you guys okay?! What happened here?!"

I tell her everything in a whisper, as that's the best I can manage. She looks at Kud, then at the embedded scythe on the bed, as I recount to her what happened. From the look on her face, she seems to believe everything. Thank heaven, I'm glad she's here.

"This room is tarnished," she observes. "Go take another room. In the meantime, I'll see what I can do about Noumi-san and Belka."

"Thank you..." I feel as though I can leave everything to her. I walk out of the room, taking one last look at Kud before I do.

* * *

The remainder of the night, thankfully, is uneventful. Rin and I wake up about the same time the following morning, warmer than we could ever hope to be. Futaki-san steps in shortly after, wishing us a good morning with an added yawn. I haven't seen her so messy and sleep-deprived before. I feel a little warmer inside knowing how human she can be.

She told us that Kud and Belka left somewhere shortly before we woke up. She did not know where they went; only that it was probably somewhere they wouldn't be able to bother anyone. That sounds like the Kud I know. I'm glad she came back to her senses.

We found the bodies of the Busters underneath the rubble of the school, and we retrieved Kyousuke's from the school gate. It took some time, but we gave them all proper burials. Futaki-san was the most devastated by Saigusa-san's disfigured body, and couldn't bear to look at it until we sufficiently buried it. As we look at our finished work, I began to wonder just what was next for us. Rin and Haruka...they had families to go back to...but I didn't. Where would I go?

As I was thinking this, Rin turns to me and asks, "Riki...what's gonna happen to you? Where will you be going...after this?"

"I don't know," I answer simply. "I might go home to my distant relatives' place, tell them about the situation. They'll probably put me in a different school."

"Away from me?" She asks, her eyes looking low to the ground.

"More than likely," I nod. "We may never see each other again after this, so..."

She sniffs, and clasps my mitten-clad hand with her own. "Riki...I don't want you to go!"

She sobs profusely in front of me. I can't help but tear up myself, looking at her cry like that. I...don't want her to go either. Unfortunately, I can't do much about it. That's just how this world is. It's cold and uncaring, and the only warmth we have is what we make of ourselves. I promised Kyousuke I would take care of her. Thus, I feel like it's only right to stay close to her for the rest of my life.

"Rin," I offer to her, wiping away my tears. "How would you like to come with me?"

She sniffs. "But...my family..."

"It's up to you," I tell her. "If you want, I can let you go to your parents' place, and ask them to take me in. It's the best we can do right now. I'll tell my folks in kind. But that's only if you really want to stay with me."

"I..." She sniffs again. "I want to be with you...forever."

"Are you sure?" I ask her one last time. I have to know how much she means it. This...could be the moment she's been looking for.

"Yes..." She answers almost immediately. "Yes, Yes! I want this! I really want to be with you! I really want to be with you forever!" She embraces me quickly, catching me a little off-guard. I return her embrace, at which point she asks, "Riki...Is this...love?"

"I...I think it is," I tell her truthfully. "If you love me that much, Rin...I'll stay with you forever."

"Forever..." She chuckles while trying not to cry again. "It sounds like a really long time."

"I don't think it'll feel all that long," I answer, deeply embracing her in the last white remnants of our dying world. "As long as we're together."

* * *

 **Mission Complete!**

Hey everyone, EisenKoubu here for the usual author's comments. Surprised I waited until now? I felt it was appropriate. ^^

This whole story took a week to write, and I've been pleasantly surprised at how big it got since I made the initial outline. The whole first act was made up on the spot, and the second act evolved tremendously from the initial notes. It's quite honestly my favorite part of the whole story, next to the epilogue that you just read. The third act was a little rushed since I had to meet a deadline, but I thought it turned out quite good as well. It's the closest to how I originally envisioned it, at least.

As for the endings, it's not hard to figure out that I consider Rin's the true end. However, I loved writing the other two endings as well. They help close up some plot threads rather nicely. I almost didn't finish Rin's, because I was really exhausted writing this by the time I got to her. I realized the next morning that her ending as I left it was too dark, so I wrote the rest to make it a little happier, but still filled with the pain of loss. In fact, this isn't a very humorous Little Busters fic at all. Humor isn't really my strong suit; high-stakes drama is. I'm still learning about writing, and after changing my major recently, I'm learning at a much faster pace, so hopefully I can make up for my current weaknesses in the near future. :3

To everyone that enjoyed this story to the end, thank you so much for reading! I'm glad that I was able to write a story this long after finishing an equally large original story fairly recently. Please look forward to my next fic whenever I come up with one, and have a joyful and merry Christmas! ^o^/


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